For a new mom, breastfeeding may seem like this simple activity to do in order to provide great nutrients and food for your baby. You may think that you just pop that breast out and put it in your baby’s mouth, they’ll begin to suck and everything will be completely easy.
Well you’re wrong. You’re so wrong. You don’t even realize how wrong you are.
Breastfeeding is a beautiful experience but from what I have been through and experienced so far, it is not an easy activity to do at all. It requires more work than you think and that milk won’t always just flow out like other moms make it seem on social media, the internet & even television shows. Lets touch on some of the main issues you may run into your first time breastfeeding below.
- Low Milk Supply
You may run into one of the most common issues with breastfeeding which would be a low milk supply to get things started. Don’t get discouraged this happens especially when you and your baby are just learning how this process works. The main thing you can do here is to not give up on yourself. Research as much as you can before giving birth and after so you can gain as much knowledge as possible. Watch what you are eating. There are a ton of foods that help the supply but there are also a ton of foods that don’t help the supply. You have to really put yourself on a healthy eating schedule. Breast Milk is about supply and demand so if you’re not putting anything worth anything into your body, like your fruits and veggies for example, you’re not going to get much milk out of your body. Stay hydrated as well. A lack of water does a huge harm to milk supply. - Lack of Time & Rest
Most new moms struggle with balancing out having time to do everything they need to daily while also keeping a steady energy supply going for themselves. This applies to moms who are in relationships, who are married and single mothers. You will feel tired all the time in the very beginning no matter how much help you may have. You’ve just had a huge transformation happen to your body so your body is responding to that by wanting to rest. This want to rest can have a negative impact on breastmilk supplies. One way to counter the lack of time to do anything due to wanting to rest is to sleep when the baby sleeps. You’ll get your naps and by the time you both wake up you’ll get to nurse your baby fully how you need to. Believe it or not, if you are tired and exhausted your breast milk will drop. Your body needs that additional time to relax and chill after giving birth. - Improper Equipment
Make sure that you have a good breast pump if you are pumping along with directly breastfeeding. Having poor equipment can cause your breast milk supply to drop as well because it’s like that bad equipment is signaling to your body that you don’t need breastmilk. My breast pump of choice is Lansinoh. I absolutely love it! It’s easy to use and easy to clean and works perfectly for my body. - Bad Company
If you have anyone around you trying to discourage you from breastfeeding because that’s not what they done when they had children, please do you and your child a favor and get rid of them. 9 times out of 10 they are jealous that you even have the courage to do what you’re doing, and they won’t treat your child or children with love and non-judgement in the future from what they’re saying to you right now during the most vulnerable time period of your life. They’re already displaying that to you now so take heed and just stay away from them, it’ll help towards your supply. If you have anyone stressing you out while you’re trying to get things going with your breastmilk supply, get rid of them. This includes bad partners even if they’re the other parent to your child. Stress will kill breastmilk supplies. It did for me and I had to start all the way over again with breastfeeding. Anyone stressing you out knowing you are breastfeeding is literally taking food directly out of your child’s mouth spitefully and doesn’t deserve to be around you. Protect your peace. - Baby won’t Latch
Another very common issue with breastfeeding is baby not wanting to latch on correctly or at all. When I first had my newborn, she latched on at first and then she just stopped all together and it was mainly due to extreme amounts of stress but there could also be a number of things that could be causing this including you not positioning the baby correctly so they’re uncomfortable, baby may have a tongue tie, you may be uneasy which is making the baby upset and not wanting to latch. There could be a number of things going on. Don’t be afraid to talk with your doctor, your baby’s pediatrician and a lactation as well to make sure you’re doing everything correctly and to get help with your breastfeeding issues. They are there to help you and baby out as much as possible. - Breastfeeding Hurts
At any time, breastfeeding should not hurt. You may feel a little tingle, but naturally feeding your baby should not hurt at all. If this is going on consult a lactation immediately to make sure there are not any negative things happening with your body and to make sure baby is latching correctly.
There are many great benefits to breastfeeding a child, not just the fact that you would be saving a lot of money by not having to purchase formula at all or at least not as much as a baby that is formula fed 100%. Lets take a look at some of the great benefits below.
- Stronger Immune System
- Saving Money
- Better brain development
- Better Bonding with Mom and Child
- Convenience and Quick Access
- Less Washing Dishes (Bottles)
- More nutrients, protein, fat, and vitamins
- Lower risk of Asthma and Allergies
- No Constipation
- Decreased Gas Buildup
- SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) Prevention
- Mom loses Pregnancy Weight Faster
- Delays menstruation
Breastfeeding takes time, it takes practice and it takes dedication. Many don’t survive and give up so fast so if you’re reading this I know you haven’t done that and are looking to improve on this for the health of your child and I’m proud of you for it. If no one has told you already, I am telling you that I am proud of you for sticking with breastfeeding. We will have more posts coming this week on this topic so stay tuned for more and make sure you’re subscribed to the blog by clicking here so you’ll receive all new blog posts directly to your email account daily. Thanks for reading!
Are you breastfeeding? What tips do you have for new mothers looking to start breastfeeding? Do you have any recommendations for more information on this topic? If so, comment below and leave your thoughts in the comment section at the bottom of this blog post.
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